VETERANS COLUMN, NEWS

Veterans Profile, Photo: U.S. Navy Fireman Leo Mendez U.S. Navy Fireman Leo Mendez, from Chicago, lifts a saltwater pump in the steam and heat shop aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 20, 2019. The John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of …

Veterans News and Notes: Havers to head Pritzker Museum By Jerry Field Dr. Rob Havers became President & CEO of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in February 2019. He came to his post from his previous position as President of the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia. He previously served as Executive Director …

Pritzker names Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to head Veterans Affairs Governor JB Pritzker announced a new appointment to lead the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, nominating Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to head the agency. “The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs has faced numerous challenges, and it’s a priority for my administration to ensure that our …

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Marriott Lincolnshire hosts Million Dollar Quartet Marriott Lincolnshire KICKS OFF THE 2019 SEASON WITH THE TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL A twist of fate. An epic jam session. An electrifying musical. There’s a whole lot of shakin’...

African American History Month February The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join...

Schadenfreude returns for new show Feb. 22 in Chicago I’m super pumped to announce that Schadenfreude is coming back together on February 22nd for a new show! It’s at The Hideout, 7pm. We are celebrating...

Rochelle Distelheim Max & Bennie’s Author Night Feb. 25 Rochelle Distelheim’s first novel, “Sadie in Love,” is set in New York’s Lower East Side during the great wave of Eastern European Jewish immigration in the...

Consolidated Primary Election Feb. 26 Illinois will hold its consolidated Primary Election on February 26, 2019. Candidates running under the banner of established parties (Republican, Democrats, etc) will run in this election to win their...

Orland Trustee hosts self-defense program for women Orland Park Trustee Carole Griffin Ruzich will co-host with One Light Self-Defense a free self-defense workshop for women and girls. The program is free and will address “self-defense,...

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BOB BONG ON BUSINESS

Bob Bong on Business: First Midwest Buys Bridgeview Bank Bridgeview Bank sells to First Midwest Community bank deal valued at $145 million By Bob Bong Bridgeview Bank, a community bank founded in Bridgeview in 1971 and … Click to read more

Bob Bong on Business: Gas N Wash to open second Mokena location By Bob Bong Mokena-based Gas n Wash has announced it will open a second location in Mokena at 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. … Click to read more

STATEWIDE NEWS

Pritzker names Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to head Veterans Affairs Governor JB Pritzker announced a new appointment to lead the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, nominating Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to head the agency. “The …

BRIEFS

Sandoval, Schillerstrom, Gorman announce new jobs coming to Illinois Access to training, apprenticeships and careers within skilled construction trades offered through the Tollway’s new ConstructionWorks program Earlier this week, Senator Sandoval was joined by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Representative Marcus Evans, Illinois Tollway Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and Executive Director Liz Gorman to …

Bob Bong on Business: Sal’s Philly Steaks opens in Hickory Hills

Sal’s Philly Steaks now open in Hickory Hills

Bridgeview resident Sal Bal is the man behind the scripted Sal’s sign that adorns four different Philly cheesesteak restaurants throughout the southwest suburbs.

Bal opened his first shop at 78th Street and Cicero Avenue near Ford City Mall around 2005.

In 2015, he made his first move to Justice.

“The rent was getting too high and the landlord didn’t want to negotiate,” said Bal, who decided to move the restaurant closer to home. “I grew up in Oak Lawn and wanted to come back to the neighborhood.

He opened Sal’s Famous Cheesesteak at 8025 W. 79th St. in the shopping center at the corner of 79th Street and Roberts Road in Justice. It’s still there, but Bal sold it to his partner a couple of years ago.

He opened a second Sal’s Famous Cheesesteak shop on Harlem Avenue in Worth, but it didn’t last.

“It wasn’t a good move. The parking was not good,” Bal said.

Last year, he opened Sal’s Phillys in Homer Glen and a second Sal’s Phillys in Palos Park earlier this year.

“Those are franchised,” he said last week from the dining room of his latest entry, Sal’s Philly Steaks in a shopping plaza at 8609 W. 95th St. in Hickory Hills.

The new Sal’s is pretty much the same as any of the old Sal’s.

“They all have my signature specials and the same concept,” he explained. “I’ve been making them for 15 years. I have a good recipe and all the locations use my recipe.”

Sal’s Philly Steaks opened Sept. 17 and the response has been good, he said.

“We’ve gotten a warm welcome from the people,” he said. “The city has been very supportive.”

This Sal’s, like his earlier ventures, is a family affair.

“It’s me, my wife, Natalie, and my son, Ishmael” he said.

Bal said the new location has 12 seats for dining in and offers carry outs.

Bal said the best-seller is the Philly steak, but their extensive menu also includes hot dogs, hamburgers, gyros, grilled chicken and salads.

The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For information, call 708-658-6137 or visit their Facebook page at Sal’s Philly Steaks.

Bal said this may be his last move.

“I’m going to try and stay here as long as I can.”

Eva’s Bridal closes in Oak Lawn

Eva’s Bridal of Oak Lawn, which came back stronger than ever after a devastating fire in 2010, announced that it would be shutting its doors.

Third-generation owner Ronia Ghusein said the iconic bridal shop’s last day would be Nov. 6 at 5269 W. 95th St.

A sister store in Orland Park, Eva’s International Bridals, will remain open.

Eva’s was opened in 1964 by Ghusein’s grandmother, Eva Sweis, in Chicago. The shop moved to 95th Street in Oak Lawn 36 years ago and its current location after the 2010 fire.

Meat company to close in Bridgeview

Colorado Premium announced last month that it would close its operation at 7661 S. 78th Avenue in Bridgeview and permanently lay off 109 workers starting Nov. 9.

Colorado Premium acquired the former Beudel Fine Meats & Provisions and Vlcek Fine Meats in Bridgeview in July 2014. The companies were leading distributors of meats and poultry to restaurants, hotels, casinos and country clubs.

No reason for the closing was announced.

Calls to the company’s headquarters in Greeley, Co., were not returned. Calls to the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union Local 1546 also were not returned.

Two former Con-Agra/Monfort executives founded Colorado Premium in 1998. The company markets a variety of retail and restaurant-ready beef, poultry and other protein products under its own brands and more than 60 private-label brands to customers in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, Taiwan, UAE and more.

Cooper’s Hawk opens in New Lenox

Countryside-based Cooper’s Hawk opened its latest wine-themed restaurant in southwest suburban New Lenox.

The New Lenox location at 2307 E. Lincoln Highway is the chain’s 33rd restaurant. It’s located in a new development across the street from Portillo’s Beef.

The new location has seating for 303 guests and can accommodate private parties. It has about 170 employees.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The chain was started in 2005 by CEO Tim McEnery. Other south suburban locations are in Burr Ridge, Oak Lawn and Orland Park.

McAlister’s Deli to open in Mokena

McAlister’s Deli has opened its second south suburban location in the Mokena Marketplace at Wolf Road and U.S. 30.

The Mokena location opened Nov. 2 at 11215 Lincoln Highway, next to the newly opened Nothing Bundt Cake.

Mokena will be the third location for a McAlister’s Deli operated by The Hari Group, a franchise development company based in Naperville. The first one is in Naperville and a second location opened in April in Orland Park’s Gateway Plaza at 143rd Street and LaGrange Road.

Ravi Patel, one of the co-owners, said McAlister’s has a large variety of sandwiches, salads and soups. It also has a menu item called Spuds, which is a large baked potato that can topped with a variety of items from black olives and jalapenos to grilled chicken and black angus roast beef.

McAlister’s is also famous for its iced tea, which can be regular or sweet or a combination. You can also get it mixed with lemonade.

Patel said McAlister’s will offer dine-in, carryout and catering.

The company started in 1989 in an old service station that had been turned into a 1950s diner by a film crew. It now has more than 400 locations in 28 states.

There are now 22 restaurants in Illinois and two in northwest Indiana in Schererville and Merrillville.

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"I write about three topics, the Middle East, politics and life in general. I often take my life experiences and offer them in an entertaining way to readers, and I take on the toughest topics like the Israel-Palestine conflict and don't pull any punches about what I feel is fair. But, my priority is always about writing the good story."

His columns are archived here. Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

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